How to Deal
by Takagouzawa Hikari-san
Summary: Shinichi has come back, and he knows Ran still loves him and is waiting for him in Japan...or not? SxR


Detective Conan: How to Deal

'_Crap, how the hell did they find us out?!'_ Conan thought to himself, running toward Agase-hakase's house.

'_Haibara and I have to run to another country. I don't want anyone else concerned in this…especially Ran…'_

Conan finally reached Agasa-hakase's door and knocked many times.

"Hello? Oh, Shinichi-kun? What's…?" Conan ran into the house and stopped in the living room, almost tripping.

"What is it, Kudou-kun?" Haibara asked crisply.

"T-the Black Organization! They know who we are, and they're sending out people right now to kill us and everyone related to us! We have to leave!" Conan yelled.

Haibara and Agasa-hakase's eyes widened, just as Yukiko and Yuusaku Kudou entered the house.

"Agasa-kun! Ai-chan! Where are you?" Yukiko said cheerily.

The two entered the living room to find a very tense atmosphere.

"What's wrong with everyone?"

"Mom, the Black Organization found out." was all Conan had to say.

"Then…it would be safer if you were in America with us, Shinichi, Haibara-kun." Yuusaku calmly said after a moment.

"…Yes. You're right, although I'd rather not admit it. Haibara, go pack your stuff."

Haibara rushed downstairs and grabbed everything she could, stuffing it into a bag.

Everyone else also did the same, to remove traces of Ai and Conan ever being there.

A couple hours later, Conan, Ai, Yukiko, and Yuusaku were on a plane back to America…

--

The phone rang as Ran was preparing dinner, and she turned off the stove for a moment and ran outside to pick up the phone.

"Hello, Mouri Detective Agency!"

"Ran-chan?"

"Agasa-hakase! Is Conan-kun staying over there tonight?"

"No…"

"So he's coming home right now?"

"No…"

"Then what is he doing?!"

"He's…going back to America with his parents. He didn't want to tell you because he knew it'd bother you. I'm sorry."

"Oh…uhm, alright. Thank you for telling me…I have to make dinner, bye."

Ran hung up the phone before Agasa-hakase could answer.

She stiffly went back to the kitchen, turning on the stove and making dinner once again.

Mouri Kogoro, who was currently asleep, woke up for a moment.

"Oi, Ran, is dinner ready yet?"

"No."

"…Where's the kid?"

"His parents decided to take him back to America."

"Oh…finally that nosy kid left."

And once again Kogoro fell asleep.

He never noticed the tears falling down his daughter's cheeks.

'_Why does it feel like I've lost more than just Conan-kun?'_

* * *

_Sometimes a man has to choose  
And do something he doesn't wanna do  
Do I live my life with you as my wife  
Or do I go on and pursue my lifetime dream  
I gotta do this for me  
Cause if I don't I'll probably regret it  
But if I do I'll probably regret it  
How do I cope  
_

_How do you cope when  
The one you love is with somebody else  
And there's nothing you could do about it  
How do you deal with  
The fact that you had a chance  
But you chose to turn away for your career  
I gotta take it though it's heartbreakin'  
It's something that I had to do  
But nobody said that it would hurt so bad  
So how do I live...how do I deal without you_

* * *

Yes. Finally. After defeating the Black Organization and retrieving the data for Haibara to make the cure, he was finally going to be back in his own body.

How he had longed for this day, besides the day Ran would accept his proposal.

* * *

The doorbell of Ran's new home rang, and Ran yelled downstairs, "Coming!"

She ran down the stairs and opened the door to find…

Kudou Shinichi, in the flesh, leaning on the side of the doorway, looking at the changing colors of the sky.

He turned his head a bit to Ran's direction as she gaped, and he smiled, saying, "Hey, Ran! Long time no see!"

Ran's mouth was still wide open, and Shinichi stared before saying, "Oi, Ran, don't remember my face? Kudou Shinichi? Childhood friend…? Still don't remember?"

"Shinichi!" Ran cried out, jumping and wrapping her arms around Shinichi's neck for a hug.

Shinichi, albeit a bit embarrassed, hugged her back, sniffing in the scent that just screamed Ran.

After a couple moments, Shinichi began to feel cold, and he pulled away.

"Let's go inside, it's really cold out here…"

And so the two went inside and sat on the couch in the living room.

"Wow, you don't look any different from 3 years ago! When did we last meet, when we were 17?" Ran asked.

"Y-yeah, when we were 17…I'm really sorry I left…"

"I missed you a lot…"

"I missed you too."

"So are you going to finally stay home…?"

"Yeah. I'll be staying in Japan. I'm not going to leave you for any cases."

"Mmmhmm…so where have you really been all this time, Shinichi?"

"…Huh? Didn't I just say I came home from the last case?"

"…Like I'll believe that. Now you better tell me where you've been all these years, Shinichi!"

"Fine, but it's a long story, so you better be quiet."

And so Shinichi launched into his story, the true story of what had happened to him the night he and Ran went to Tropical Land.

30 minutes after the story was told, Ran looked like she was about to cry.

"And, uhm, Ran?"

"What, you stupid, no good detective?!" Ran sobbed into her hands.

"While I was Conan, I realized something…no wait, I had known it for a long time, it's just…well…when I was Conan, I really realized that I was…" Shinichi began to blush and sweat a bit. Just a bit. Who knew the cool detective would be so…uncool at a predicament like this?

"You what, huh? That you pretty much betrayed me? You knew I cried for you like every night because I couldn't see you, and yet you did every single day!"

"No! I realized that I was really in love with you!" Shinichi yelled.

Ran froze.

_In love with…me?_

Ran's eyes softened and she whispered, "Shinichi…"

Shinichi looked at the floor now, his face totally red. He knew Ran loved him back, he just knew it…

"Shinichi…I'm sorry. I loved you….but you were gone too long, and I just…had to…"

Ran was interrupted by keys being fitted into the keyhole, a door opening, and cold air rushing into the living room.

"Honey, I'm home! I—" a man with jet black hair and green eyes entered the living room.

"Oh…am I interrupting something?" the man asked, walking into the room and placing his arms around Ran's waist.

"No you're not, Satoshi. I was getting ready for dinner, but my childhood friend came."

_Childhood friend._

He now knew what Ran was going to say.

_I just had to move on._

_I loved you, Shinichi, but I couldn't wait forever._

_I'm sorry._

"W-well, anyway, I got to go…have a nice dinner, Ran." Shinichi began to walk out the door, closing it behind him.

"Ran, was that…?"

"Yeah. It was." Ran looked outside the window at Shinichi, who was now walking very slowly.

Katsukawa Satoshi watched his girlfriend watch her ex-love and childhood friend walk away, and he looked at her eyes.

They were getting a bit glazed and misty.

He knew that she still did, but he had gotten her first.

* * *

He just…couldn't believe it.

She had really moved on?

What about that talk about him being her prince?

Whatever had happened during those 3 years he was in America…?

In any case, Shinichi, for the first time ever since he was a child…

wanted to cry.

* * *

A couple weeks after what had happened at Ran's house, Shinichi and Ran met up again.

Maybe it was a coincidental accident…

Or it could have been fate.

It was a rainy day.

Shinichi was just talking a walk through the park without his umbrella, because bringing an umbrella was such a bother.

Ran was coming home from grocery shopping, one arm full with groceries, the other holding her umbrella.

Shinichi was staring at the floor, not really thinking about anything.

Ran…well, she couldn't see what was in front of her at all, really, with the bags in her way.

And, well, you know what happens, right?

BAM!

Shinichi slammed straight into Ran, sending her groceries to the wet cement, cracking some eggs in the process, and Ran let go of her umbrella from shock.

"I'm sorry miss, I'll help you with your things." Shinichi got up quickly and began to repack the things into the lady's bag.

"Oh no, I don't need help…"

And their fingers touched amongst grabbing groceries.

The two looked up and immediately said the other's name in unison, a face of confusion plastered on their face.

"Uhmmm…so, what were you doing?" Shinichi asked Ran after putting all the groceries in their bags.

"Satoshi said we were out of food and asked me if I could go to the store and buy some." Ran answered.

Something glittering on Ran's left hand caught Shinichi's attention.

_Oh._

A beautifully cut diamond right in the middle of a silver band.

This awfully beautiful ring was placed on her ring finger.

…

Shinichi looked away from the ring, not able to bear looking at it for another second.

"What are you doing here, Shinichi?"

"I needed a walk…to clear my thoughts."

"Oh."

"…Ran?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you absolutely sure you've moved on? You don't…love me anymore?"

"…" Ran looked away from Shinchi's cold and demanding stare and to the wet cement, her umbrella and bags slipping a bit but not falling out of her grasp.

Shinichi watched her every move, and all the pent up sexual frustration blew up at that one motion.

"Goddamnit, Ran!"

Shinichi pressed Ran to a big tree that was conviently next to them, making her drop her things, and he pressed himself against her, staring into those big and confused blue eyes.

And so, he kissed her, one arm wrapping itself around her waist and the other into her head, tilting it towards him and deepening their kiss.

Ran's eyes were wide open. Since when did Shinichi get so…bold?! Forward?!

But this…this kiss…was evoking a lot of feelings in her.

She felt like she was in high school again with…well, whatever was bubbling up in her body. It made her feel…good.

So, she submitted herself to these wonderful feelings, closed her eyes, and kissed Shinichi back.

'_My first kiss…'_

The two kept kissing in the rain, and in the process also got wet, but who cares about that now?!

Shinichi pulled away and Ran was just about to whine about it when Shinichi began to nibble on her earlobe.

Ran moaned as Shinichi began to move downward and kiss her neck, sucking on her pulse. Ran moved her head to the side, giving Shinichi more access to her neck, and closed her eyes, loving the new feelings that was bubbling up inside of her, the feelings that never came when she was with Satoshi…

'_Oh crap! What the hell am I doing?!_

Shinichi pulled away quickly, removing his body from Ran's but not letting go of her.

He blushed a deep red and muttered a sorry, removing his hands from Ran and placing them behind his back so they wouldn't do anything they weren't supposed to.

Ran slumped against the tree a bit, her eyes still closed, her red lips moving in and out for air.

'_Oh god, she's turning me on further! I have to hurry, or else--!'_

Shinichi turned away to hide his red face and stuttered, "Uhm, since your clothes are wet…do you want to come to my house? You can take a bath," at this Shinichi's face turned as red as it could possibly ever get, "and I can give you some clothes to wear while I wash your wet ones."

Ran's eyes fluttered half-open and she stared a minute at Shinichi before answering slowly, "Sure…but I don't remember where your house is anymore…"

'_She forgot, huh…oh, hey wait…'_

"Well, it's really close, so we'll be okay." Shinichi grabbed Ran's hand and grabbed two of her bags, walking with her to the direction of his house, not really noticing the fact that he was holding her hands as if they were friends after what had just happened.

Ran obviously noticed, and she blushed like a little girl.

'_Why am I blushing?! Why is my heart…? I'm engaged to Satoshi, I can't do this to him! And it'd be unfair to Shinichi…but….but…'_

"Wow, those two are a cute couple!" a high-school girl whispered to her friend, staring at amazement at Shinichi and Ran.

"I know! I wish I could find a cute guy for a boyfriend like that!"

"Ahh! She has a ring! Maybe they're engaged!"

"Good luck, you two!" the two girls yelled across the street at Shinichi and Ran, smiling.

"….Eh?" Ran said after a moment.

She looked at Shinichi and he looked back at her with a puzzled face.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea what they meant either."

And so they kept on walking, forgetting about what had also just happened.

When they reached Shinichi's house, Shinichi said to Ran, "Just stay here, I'll get a towel and some clothes, and you can take a shower."

He left Ran at the front door, partially freezing, and went upstairs.

Ran looked around at the very old house, and she remembered all the memories from her childhood when she had played with Shinichi…

She could hear the footsteps of Shinichi, and she turned to see, in his hands, were indeed a set of clothes and a towel.

Shinichi handed her the things in his hands and said, "Bathroom's across my room up the stairs."

"Oh…okay. Thank you."

"No problem." Shinichi disappeared into the kitchen as Ran went up the stairs and into the bathroom.

A couple moments later, Shinichi heard the water turn on.

He blushed a bit.

And then…oh god, was that really…!

He blushed a darker shade of red and ran upstairs to grab a clean set of clothes and take a shower.

A very cold shower.

20 minutes later, Ran finished with her shower and put on the clothes Shinichi had provided her. A rather big shirt and shorts.

The shirt fit, but it was so long they covered the shorts, making it seem like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

She still wore her undergarments, even if they were a little cold and wet, because there was just no way was she going to go around in Shinichi's house without any!

She went downstairs, wet towel and clothes in her hands, and followed that wonderful smell to the kitchen.

"Finally finished, huh?" Shinichi took the clothes and towel from her hands and put them into the already loaded washing machine, starting it up.

"Do you want tea or coffee?"

"Coffee is fine." Ran answered, sitting on the couch in the living room.

A couple minutes later Shinichi set a cup of coffee in front of Ran and sat opposite her.

"Thanks so much for…well, everything." Ran said quietly.

"It's not a problem…I mean, you're my…best friend…"

The two adults that might as well be teenagers again with the way they were feeling and their actions drank their coffee in silence, the atmosphere way too tense for this type of situation.

And finally, finally, the washing machine make a ding sound.

"I better go…put the clothes in the dryer. They'll be done in…thirty minutes."

"OK…"

After some uncomfortable minutes, Shinichi came back and sat down in his seat again.

"…You don't really love that Katsukawa guy, do you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm engaged to him, why wouldn't I be in love with him?! The ring on my hand is evidence! I never take it off!" Ran yelled, surprised at this question.

"You're lying! Stop lying to yourself, I know you still love me, and I have proof!"

"No you don't! You stop lying, because I don't love you anymore!" Ran yelled.

"I do have proof, because you kissed me back in the park! There isn't anything else that could prove that you still love me! God, Ran, stop hurting yourself!" Shinichi yelled back.

"I'm not in love with you anymore, and I'm not hurting myself! J-just…mmph!" Ran was interrupted.

During the time Ran was talking, Shinichi immediately stood up and stomped across to where Ran was sitting and grabbed her, pressing his lips against hers.

Ran was slightly surprised, but let Shinichi kiss her, moving her body so that she was laying on the couch.

After a moment, Shinich pulled away to look at Ran.

She was beautiful.

Her eyes were partially closed but still open, her face slightly red, and she was breathing deeply, her breath mingling with Shinichi's own…

"Ran…"

"Shinichi…"

And they kissed again, another breathtaking kiss that let their minds stray away from reason and off to desire…

And, just in time, the dryer rang.

It took a couple moments for the sound to actually register in Shinichi's mind, and when he did, he reluctantly pulled away from Ran and went to the dryer, pulling the clothes out and, when finding Ran's clothes, quickly folded them and went back to the living room.

Ran was still laying on the couch, her breathing a bit irregular. Her heart was still beating like crazy, and…and…

All she really wanted to do at this moment was seize Shinichi and kiss him senseless.

"Sh-Shinichi…" Ran moaned, making a shiver run down Shinichi's spine. Oh god, his name sounded like music coming from her, especially when she said it that way…

Ran got up slowly from the couch and walked towards Shinichi, lust and desire deep in her blue eyes…

"Shinichi…what the hell are you doing…to me?" Ran whispered, clutching at Shinichi's shirt and staring at him with innocent eyes…

"R-Ran…" was all Shinichi could say before Ran pressed her lips against his, loving how soft they were…

Shinichi immediately pulled away, looking guilty, and said "Ran…we can't do this…you're engaged…"

The words registered into Ran's mind and she snapped out of her reverie.

"Ah…right. Sorry. Let's just…forget everything that happened today." Ran muttered, her face red.

"Yeah…uhm, here, your clothes. You wouldn't want to go out in the rain wearing those." Shinichi handed Ran her clothes and she went off to change.

A moment later she came back, handing Shinichi his clothes, grabbing her bags and umbrella, and went to the entrance, putting on her shoes.

Shinichi followed her and opened the door.

"Bye Ran."

"Bye…Shinichi. Thanks for letting me borrow your clothes."

"No problem,"

And Ran left, leaving Shinichi alone in his house.

He stood at the door for a moment before going to his room. He stared at the picture of him and Ran when they were in high school, and his eyes darkened.

He walked toward the wall of his room and punched it a couple times, getting his frustration out, until his knuckles were slightly bleeding.

He leaned against the wall, and he muttered to himself, "Dammnit…if only I hadn't shrunk to a kid…"

--

Ran walked out of Shinichi's house and onto the street, fumbling a little with her bags and umbrella once in a while.

But she just…couldn't handle it.

She leaned against a lit streetlamp, the cool metal cooling her hot body, and she moaned, although attempting for it to be silent, so as to not be embarrassed.

"Why…why did it have to be like this?" Ran asked herself.

Tears fell down her cheeks just like the rain that was trickling down the windows of houses.

* * *

This was it.

The day before the wedding.

For all anyone knew, this could change fate. Destiny.

It could even cut the special invisible red string that linked Shinichi and Ran.

* * *

Ran was alone at home, just…wondering…

All of a sudden the doorbell rang, and she got off her bed and went downstairs.

The doorbell rang again, and she yelled, "Coming!"

And she opened the door to see Shinichi.

"Shinichi! Hi! What brings you here?" Ran said enthusiastically.

Shinichi held a very nicely made card in between his pointer and middle finger, which Ran immediately recognized, and she looked away.

"You're really going to…?"

"Yes."

"But you don't even love him! And even if you do, there's no way your love for him can beat the love you have for me!"

"But, I can't stand waiting for you anymore. And he was there for me when I tried to stop loving you…"

* * *

_It's killing me to know  
That your heart's with me  
But you're with him cause I chose  
To be in this industry  
Money, shows, and hoes come along with luxury and pain  
Is all you see when you think about it  
But this is the life that I was given  
So I have to live it to the fullest  
But how do I deal in the meantime without you_

_How do you cope when  
The one you love is with somebody else  
And there's nothing you could do about it  
How do you deal with  
The fact that you had a chance  
But you chose to turn away for your career  
I gotta take it though it's heartbreakin'  
It's something that I had to do  
But nobody said that it would hurt so bad  
So how do I live...how do I deal without you_

_How do you deal when you can't be with  
the one you love but the one you love is  
with somebody else  
What do you do when you know she don't love him  
but she love me but she cant stand lovin' you faraway  
you just deal with it, deal with it  
you just deal with it, deal with it  
you just deal with it, deal with it  
you just deal with it, deal with it_

* * *

Shinichi stared at Ran for a moment with his calculating and piercing eyes, and Ran looked away, feeling as if she was forcefully stripped naked from that look…

"Fine. I probably can't change your mind…but, before you do get official…"

Shinichi stepped in, closing the door behind him with his foot and locking it, and then grabbing Ran, just purely hugging her, smelling the wonderful vanilla scent of her hair…

"Ran…Ran…" Shinichi whispered into her hair, his fingers combing through it…

'_Shinichi…'_ Ran thought to herself, a sad look gluing itself to her face, and she hugged him back, the heat emanating from Shinichi warming her up, and she closed her eyes, the heat comforting…

And the next thing she knew, Shinichi was kissing her again.

She did absolutely nothing to stop him though, and even kissed him back for a moment before Shinichi pulled away.

"I probably…won't be going. And I hope you have a better life with Katsukawa…or that it's better than the one you could have had with me."

And with that, Shinichi left, locking the door behind him.

Ran stood in the exact same place she had been standing for a moment before tears sprung in her eyes and she sunk to the floor slowly, her hands reaching up to cover her face, and her sobs echoed throughout the house.

"What am I supposed to do..?"

oOo the next day, AKA wedding day oOo

Ran walked up the aisle in her wedding dress with her father, who wasn't happy that she was getting married but was also happy because she wasn't getting married to the detective freak.

But ever since yesterday, whenever she looked at Satoshi, she could feel her heart hurting.

And the bridesmaids, Sonoko, Kazuha, and Aoko, who Ran had met a couple years ago because of her father and Aoko's father, knew it.

While they were getting ready for the wedding, they saw Ran.

She was just looking outside the window, her eyes glassy…

"Do you, Katsukawa Satoshi, take Mouri Ran as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And do you, Mouri Ran, take Katsukawa Satoshi as your lawfully wedded husband?"

"…"

"Do you, Mouri Ran…"

"Ah, I'm sorry, I heard it…and…no, I don't."

A gasp escaped everyone's lips except for the bridesmaids, who only smiled. They knew this would happen.

"I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun, I just…don't love you anymore." Ran confessed.

Satoshi smiled at Ran, and answered, "It's perfectly alright, Ran…I also don't love you anymore…I've loved my long lost friend for years, and you reminded me so much of her, but she just recently came back, and…if you would let me, Izumi, I would love to marry you."

The girl in the second row with the red face and the long brown hair began to cry, and she said, "Yes, yes!"

Ran smiled at the girl and turned to Satoshi.

"Thank you so much for understanding, Satoshi-kun." Ran pulled him down for a hug and a kiss on the cheek before rushing out of the cathedral doors…

oOo 1 minute ago, outside the doors oOo

Shinichi paced outside the doors.

Shoot. Should he go inside and steal Ran before she can say "I do"?

And he just kept pacing, pacing…

and the door opened on him, hitting him straight in the head, and he fell on his butt onto the cement.

"Ahhh! I'm so sorry…Shinichi!!" Ran's voice echoed through Shinichi's head.

"Owww…"

"Shinichi, are you OK?"

Shinichi opened his eyes…

And if you asked him what was on his mind when he opened his eyes, he would have blushed and said,

"Are you an angel?"

Ran blushed and slapped Shinichi lightly.

"Mou, you baka!"

"Anyway, what are you doing out here?" Shinichi asked, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Well…I came to get a detective freak and tell him he can be my Prince Charming now." Ran smiled, blushing.

Shinichi smiled back and answered, "Well, that detective freak of yours is happy you can be his Cinderella now."

And the two kissed as the sun began to set, the beautiful colors highlighting the moment.

An elderly couple smiled at each other as they remembered the days when they were young and full of love for each other.

And Mouri Kogoro found them a moment later and screamed, "Get off my daughter, you detective brat!!"

-end How To Deal-

Takagouzawa Hikari-san: Uwaaa! This oneshot is one of the longest ones I have ever written (well, it _seems_ like it…)! Yay! But I really worked hard on this one, it really nagged me, and I neglected my other stories, so I will start on them soon! Please review!


End file.
